DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 14 and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities: Each of these independent claims begins with “A semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:” (emphasis added). Though independent claims generally do begin with the article “A”, the word “equipment” connotes a plurality of elements. As such, the claims should begin with “[[A]] Semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 8 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities: “the first transfer robot is configured to withdraws the replaceable component” (emphasis added) is a typographical error and should instead recite “the first transfer robot is configured to withdraw the replaceable component”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 14 is further objected to because of the following informalities: “the identification codes are the side face of the housing” (emphasis added), is not necessarily indefinite, nor is it held to be unsupported new matter, but is instead considered to be a typographical omission. The claim should be amended in line with claims 5 and 17 and should instead disclose “the identification codes are installed on the side face of the housing”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 11 discloses “The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 1, wherein a width of the replaceable component is larger than a width of the substrate” (lines 1-2; emphasis added). The claims are directed to an apparatus (“semiconductor manufacturing equipment”), and are not directed to the product upon which the apparatus can operate. The “replaceable component” and the “substrate” are both products to be worked upon and are not elements of the apparatus. As such, it is impossible to guess how this claim is intended to further limit the claimed apparatus, because it only defines the product workpiece, which does not understandably define the apparatus in any way.
Claim 12 is also rejected as indefinite, so rendered by virtue of its dependency upon the indefinite subject matter of claim 11.
Claim 12 is further rejected as indefinite. The claim discloses “the replaceable component is an outer ring for surrounding an electrostatic chuck”. This claim is indefinite for the same reason as claim 11, because it does not further define or limit the apparatus of the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-12 and 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Krupyshev et al. (US 2020/0395232 A1).
NOTE: throughout the claims there is disclosed conditional claim language which is temporal or time-dependent in nature and thus required only “while” or “when” another condition is met (see, e.g. claims 1, 2, 4, 8, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 20). This language is not held to be indefinite; however, it is quite broad. As currently presented, the conditional limitations do not need to be met “while” or “when” the other condition is not met. The Applicant is encouraged to consider this when amending the claims and to endeavor to positively recite limitations which are not conditional in nature.
Regarding claim 1, Krupyshev discloses a semiconductor manufacturing equipment (Title; Abstract; fig. 1; pars. 22-25) comprising: a process chamber (11030) for treating a substrate (fig. 1; par. 30); a front-end module (11000, 302) including a first transfer robot (11013), the first transfer robot being configured to transport the substrate in a container (fig. 1; pars. 29-30); a transfer chamber (11010, 11020) between the front-end module and the process chamber, the transfer chamber being configured to load or unload the substrate into or out of the process chamber (fig. 1; pars. 26-30); and a cassette (401/467, including: 401, 32, etc.) *capable of receiving a replaceable component (“non-production workpiece”; not currently positively recited a part of the claimed equipment) *capable of being used in the process chamber, wherein the front-end module includes a seat plate (11050) configured to move in a sliding manner so as to retract or extend into or from the front-end module (par. 28), and the cassette is configured to be loaded into the front-end module while the cassette is seated on the seat plate (figs. 1F and 3A-4; pars. 32, 46, 51 and 65-69).
*NOTE: The clauses in which discloses that the cassette is “capable of” receiving a component, that the component is “capable” of being used in the chamber, and “identification codes for recognizing a position” are not necessarily indefinite; however, they are broad and open to different reasonable interpretations. In the context of this claim, being “capable of receiving”, or “capable of being used” or “for recognizing” are not the same as positively reciting the receiving or the functional use which follows. It is reasonable to broadly read the first two limitations as including any solid object having a face that can hold another object, because the capability of placing a component on a cassette anticipates the limitation as presented. Similarly, the ID codes limitation can be read under broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) to include any identification code which could be used to identify features, locations, orientation or the like. Perhaps more importantly, this claim language format is also not the same as positively reciting the limitations such as the “replaceable component”, which is currently not required by the claimed “equipment”. Under BRI, the “component” may even be interpreted as being a workpiece component, intended to be mounted on the substrate upon which the claimed manufacturing equipment is intended to be used. However, considering the disclosure of the instant specification, it seems likely that the “replaceable component” is actually a component of the claimed semiconductor manufacturing equipment (see, inter alia, par. 0060). The Applicant is encouraged to amend the claims to clarify the above noted issues. This interpretation holds for independent claims 14 and 15 as well.
Regarding claim 2, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 1, wherein the front-end module is configured to operate without stopping while the cassette is loaded into the front-end module (par. 23).
Regarding claim 3, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 1, wherein the cassette includes a housing (467), a first shutter (32) on a side face of the housing, and a centering structure (401) on an inner face of the first shutter, the housing defines an inner space (305) for receiving the replaceable component, the first shutter is configured to open or close to expose or cover the inner space of the housing, the centering structure is configured to center the replaceable component in the inner space of the housing (fig. 4; pars. 32, 46, 51 and 65-69).
Regarding claim 4, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 3, wherein the centering structure is constructed to center the replaceable component in the inner space of the housing when the first shutter has been closed (pars. 32 and 65-66).
Regarding claim 5, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 3, wherein the cassette further includes a plurality of identification codes (891) *for recognizing a position of the first shutter, and the identification codes are installed on the side face of the housing onto which the first shutter is on (fig. 4; par. 69).
Regarding claim 6, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 5, wherein the identification codes surround the first shutter (fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 5, wherein the first transfer robot includes a sensor (“optical character recognition, barcode readers, cameras, etc.”) for sensing the identification codes (par. 71).
Regarding claim 8, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 1, wherein the front-end module further includes a second shutter (11040) between a first space (fig. 1F: region of 11000) of the front-end module and a second space (fig. 1F: region of 11050) of the front-end module, the first transfer robot is in the first space of the front-end module (fig. 1F), the second space of the front-end module is a region of the front-end module configured for loading the cassette into the front-end module (fig. 1F; pars. 0028-0030), and the first transfer robot is configured to withdraws [sic] the replaceable component out of the cassette when the second shutter is in an open state (figs. 1A-1F and 3A-4; pars. 28-30 and 43-47).
Regarding claim 9, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 8, wherein the front-end module further includes a pair of guides (11005) in the second space, the pair of guides are adjacent to the second shutter, and the pair of guides are configured fix a position of the cassette (figs. 1A-1F; pars. 28-30).
Regarding claim 10, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 9, wherein the front-end module further includes an adapter (300) configured for withdrawing the replaceable component out of the cassette, the adapter is in the second space and under the second shutter and the pair of guides, or the adapter is in the second space and on an arm of the first transfer robot (figs. 1A-1F and 3A-4; pars. 43-47).
Regarding claim 11, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 1, wherein a width of the replaceable component is (can be) larger than a width of the substrate (fig. 4). This claim does not further limit the apparatus of the claims. The replaceable component of Krupyshev can readily be selected as being larger than the substrate if desired, as it has no apparent effect on the apparatus at all.
Regarding claim 12, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 11, wherein the replaceable component is an outer ring for surrounding an electrostatic chuck (fig. 4). This claim does not further limit the apparatus of the claims. The replaceable component of Krupyshev can readily be selected as being an outer ring if desired, as it has no apparent effect on the apparatus at all.
Regarding claim 14, Krupyshev discloses a semiconductor manufacturing equipment (Title; Abstract; fig. 1; pars. 22-25) comprising: a process chamber (11030) for treating a substrate (fig. 1; par. 30); a front-end module (11000, 302) including a first transfer robot (11013), the first transfer robot being configured to transport the substrate in a container (fig. 1; pars. 29-30); a transfer chamber (11010, 11020) between the front-end module and the process chamber, the transfer chamber being configured to load or unload the substrate into or out of the process chamber (fig. 1; pars. 26-30); and a cassette (401/467, including: 401, 32, etc.) *capable of receiving a replaceable component (“non-production workpiece”; not currently positively recited a part of the claimed equipment) *capable of being used in the process chamber, wherein the cassette includes a housing (467), a first shutter (32) on a side face of the housing, a plurality of identification codes (891) *for recognizing a position of the first shutter, and a centering structure (401) on an inner face of the first shutter, the housing defines an inner space (305) for receiving the replaceable component, the first shutter is configured to open or close the inner space of the housing, the identification codes are the side face of the housing onto which the first shutter is on (fig. 4; pars. 32, 46, 51 and 68-69); and the centering structure is configured to center the replaceable component in the inner space of the housing when the first shutter is closed (pars. 32 and 65-66), the front-end module includes a seat plate (11050) configured to move in a sliding manner so as to retract or extend into or from the front-end module (par. 28), a second shutter (11040) between a first space (fig. 1F: region of 11000) of the front-end module and a second space (fig. 1F: region of 11050) of the front-end module, a pair of guides (11005) in the second space and adjacent to the second shutter (figs. 1A-1F; pars. 28-30), and an adapter (300) configured for withdrawing the replaceable component out of the cassette (figs. 3A-4; pars. 43-47), the first transfer robot is in the first space of the front-end module (fig. 1F), the second space of the front-end module is a region of the front-end module configured for loading the cassette into the front-end module (fig. 1F; pars. 0028-0030), the pair of guides are configured to fix a position of the cassette, the cassette is configured to be loaded into the front-end module while the cassette is seated on the seat plate (figs. 1F and 3A-4; pars. 32, 46, 51 and 65-69).
*See “NOTE” connected with the prior art rejection of claim 1, above.
Regarding claim 15, Krupyshev discloses a semiconductor manufacturing equipment (Title; Abstract; fig. 1; pars. 22-25) comprising: a process chamber (11030) for treating a substrate (fig. 1; par. 30); a front-end module (11000, 302) including a first transfer robot (11013), the first transfer robot being configured to transport the substrate in a container (fig. 1; pars. 29-30); a transfer chamber (11010, 11020) between the front-end module and the process chamber, the transfer chamber being configured to load or unload the substrate into or out of the process chamber (fig. 1; pars. 26-30); and a cassette (401/467, including: 401, 32, etc.) *capable of receiving a replaceable component (“non-production workpiece”; not currently positively recited a part of the claimed equipment) *capable of being used in the process chamber, wherein the front-end module includes a seat plate (11050) configured to move in a sliding manner so as to retract or extend into or from the front-end module (par. 28) the cassette is configured to be loaded into the front-end module while the cassette is seated on the seat plate (figs. 1F and 3A-4; pars. 32, 46, 51 and 65-69), and the front-end module is configured to operate without stopping while the cassette is loaded into the front-end module (par. 0023).
*See “NOTE” connected with the prior art rejection of claim 1, above.
Regarding claim 16, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 15, wherein the cassette includes a housing (467), a first shutter (32) on a side face of the housing, and a centering structure (401) on an inner face of the first shutter, the housing defines an inner space (305) for receiving the replaceable component, the first shutter is configured to open or close to expose or cover the inner space of the housing, the centering structure is configured to center the replaceable component in the inner space of the housing, and the centering structure is constructed to center the replaceable component in the inner space of the housing when the first shutter has been closed (fig. 4; pars. 32, 46, 51 and 65-69).
Regarding claim 17, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 16, wherein the cassette further includes a plurality of identification codes for recognizing a position of the first shutter, and the identification codes (891) are installed on the side face of the housing onto which the first shutter is on, and the identification codes surround the first shutter (fig. 4; par. 0069).
Regarding claim 18, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 15, wherein the front-end module further includes a second shutter (11040) installed between a first space(fig. 1F: region of 11000) of the front-end module and a second space (fig. 1F: region of 11050) of the front-end module, the first transfer robot is in the first space of the front-end module (fig. 1F), and the second space of the front-end module is a region of the front-end module configured for loading the cassette into the front-end module (fig. 1F; pars. 0028-0030), and the first transfer robot is configured to withdraws the replaceable component out of the cassette when the second shutter is in an open state (figs. 1A-1F and 3A-4; pars. 28-30 and 43-47).
Regarding claim 19, Krupyshev discloses the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 18, wherein the front-end module further includes a pair of guides (11005) and an adapter (300), the pair of guides are adjacent to the second shutter in the second space, and are configured fix a position of the cassette (figs. 1A-1F; pars. 28-30,32, 46, 51 and 65-69), and the adapter configured for withdrawing the replaceable component out of the cassette (figs. 3A-4; pars. 43-47).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krupyshev, in view of JP 2004-536443 (Translation of Inventor Names not provided/found; hereinafter: “JP ‘443”).
Regarding claims 13 and 20, Krupyshev discloses all of the elements of the current invention as detailed above with respect to claims 1 and 15, respectively. Krupyshev, however, does not explicitly disclose that the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, when the replaceable component is replaced in the process chamber, is configured to detect a position of the replaceable component using a wafer-type sensor and correct the position of the replaceable component.
JP ‘443 teaches that it is well known to provide a similar apparatus (Abstract; fig. 1: all), wherein when the replaceable component is replaced in the process chamber, is configured to detect a position of the replaceable component using a wafer-type sensor and correct the position of the replaceable component (pars. 44 and 70-71).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the current invention of Krupyshev to incorporate the component position sensing and correction of JP ‘443. POSITA would have realized that detecting and correcting the position of a component can be easily and readily employed to achieve the desired component alignment and mounting precision in such a manner as to predictably decrease costly apparatus downtime or rework due to misalignments. Moreover, there is no indication in the instant disclosure that any special sensor or controller was devised or that any surprising results were derived from simply using the old apparatus of Krupyshev with the well-known component position sensing and correction of JP ‘443. This combination would have been easily achieved with knowledge of the commonly understood advantages and with reasonable expectations of success.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the concurrently mailed PTO-892, as all of those cited references are considered to be pertinent to the claimed invention. For example, Lee et al. (US 6,473,664 B1) is held to disclose most, if not all, of the limitations of at least claim 1 (see, inter alia, cols. 3-5 and fig. 4: process chamber 300d, front-end module 500/600 including first transfer robot 600, transfer chamber 300a, cassette 650). The Lee reference is not currently applied as an anticipation rejection due to the completeness of the above applied art, and in order to avoid an overly long Office Action or duplicative rejections.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeffrey T Carley whose telephone number is (571)270-5609. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JEFFREY T CARLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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